this kind should be most acceptable and welcom to thee, among which thou mayeft reckon th author for one; who hath fifhed out the mea ing and ufe of the law, in which, as in a gla thou mayeft fee (if thou forget not) what man ner of man thou oughteft to be in all of conve verfation toward God, toward thyfelf, and to wards others. The (a) ten commandments ten words (which Chrift contracted into twe Mat. xxii. 40. and which are wrapt up in the one word, LOVE) though for the letter of them they take up but a little room, yet they are in their meaning exceeding broad and comprehen five; and though the letter be the word of God it is the fpirit, or inward meaning, which is the will and mind of God; not as if there were any thing in the letter which was not in the meaning but that the meaning is of far larger extent than the words do exprefs; now the meaning being expreft fo briefly, and in fo few words became obfcure: (b) and hence it was, that the Scribes, Pharifees, and lawyers, were fo much in the dark, as to the meaning of the law, fuppofing that there had not been any fub-intelligitur at all. Now left thou, reader, fhouldft ftumble at the fame ftone, here's a light to guide thee. I fhall fay no more, for the wine is fo good that it needs no bufh, only to tell thee, that 'tis here to be fold.

RALPH VENNING,

(a) Decalogue.

(b) Qui brevis erit, obfcurus erit.

EVANGELISTA, a Minifter of the Gospel.
NOMOLOGISTA, a pratler of the Law. And
NEOPHITUS. a young Christian.

Neo. SIR, here is our neighbour Nomologifta, who, as I fuppofe, is much miftaken, as touching a point that he and I have had fome conference about; and because I

found you fo ready and willing to inform all inftruct me when I came to you with my neigh bour Nomista and Antinomifta, I have prefur ed to intreat him to come along with me to you affuring both myself and him, that we shall b welcome to you, and that you will make it ap pear he is deceived.

Evan. You are both of you very kindly we! come to me, and as I have been willing to giv you the best instruction, when you were formerly with me; even fo, God willing, fhall I be now wherefore I pray you let me understand what the point is, wherein you do conceive he is mistaken.

Neo. Why Sir, this is the thing. He tell me he is perfuaded that he goes very near the perfect fulfilling the law of God; but I cannot be perfuaded to it.

Evan. What fay you, neighbour Nomologi fta, are you perfuaded?

Nom. Yea, indeed Sir, I am fo perfuaded, for whereas you know the first commandment is, "I am the Lord thy God, thou fhalt have

"none

none other Gods before my face." I am confident I have the only true God for my God and none others.

And whereas the fecond commandment is, "Thou shalt not make to thyself any gra "ven image," &c. I tell you truly, I do defy all graven images, and do count it a great folly in any man, either to make them, or worfhip them.

And

And whereas the third commandment is, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." It is well known that I n no fwearer, neither can I abide to hear others fwear by the name of God.

And whereas the fourth commandment is, Remember that thou keep holy the fabbath day." I am fure I do very seldom either work r travel on that day; but do go to the church oth forenoon and afternoon; and do both read, nd hear the word of God read, when I come

ome.

And whereas the fifth commandment is, Honour thy father and thy mother," &c. I hank God, I was very careful to do my duty to my parents when I was a child.

And whereas the fixth commandment is, "Thou fhalt not kill." I thank God I never yet murdered either man, woman, or child; and I hope, I never fhall.

And whereas the feventh commandment is, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." I thank God, I was never given to women, God hath hitherto kept me from committing that fin, and fo I hope he will do whilst I live.

And whereas the eighth commandment is, "Thou fhalt not fteal." I do not remember that ever I took the worth of twelve pence of any man's goods in all my life.

And whereas the ninth commandment is, "Thou shalt not bear falfe witness against thy neighbour." I thank God, I do abhor

B4

that

that fin, and was never guilty of it in all my

life.

And whereas the tenth commandment "Thou shalt not covet." I thank God, I ne ver coveted nothing but what was mine own all my life.

Evan. Alas! neighbour Nomologifta, the commandments of God have a larger extent than it seems you are aware of; for it feems you do imagine that the whole moral law is confined within the compafs of what you have now repeated; as though there were no more required or forbidden, than what is expreffed in the words of the ten commandments; as though the Lord required do more but the bare exter nal, or actual performance of a duty; and as though he did forbid no more than the bare abstinence and grofs acting of fin. The very fame conceit of the law of God the Scribes and Pharifees had: and therefore it is no mar. vel though you imagine you keep all the commandments even as they did.

Nom. Well, Sir, If I have been deceived, you may do well to instruct me better.

Evan. I fhall endeavour to do it with all my heart, as the Lord fhall be pleafed to enable me. And because I begin to fear that it is not your cafe alone to be thus ignorant of the large extent, and the true fenfe and meaning of the law of God; I also begin to blame myself, for that I have not taken occafion to expound the commandments in my public miniftry, fince I came amongst you; and therefore I do now refolve, by the help of God, very fpeedily to fall

about